Yeti Cooler / Brisket Recipe

If you are looking for cooking ideas for your entry in The Muddy Chef Challenge, swing on over to the Yeti Coolers website. Yeti BBQ ambassadors Justin and Diane Fourton know something about Brisket. Check out their recipe here. From the Yeti Cooler website.

TEXAS STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Written by Justin and Diane Fourton on May 22

Pecan Lodge was recently ranked one of the top four BBQ joints in the world. Founders Justin and Diane Fourton have perfected smoking a brisket and have decided to share their secrets with the world. Try their tips this holiday weekend and reap the rewards of a mouthwatering, Texas – style brisket.

Step 1– Create your rub Basic Rub 1 cup Kosher Salt 2 cups Course Black Pepper Modified RubStart with the basic rub of 2 parts coarse ground pepper to 1 part kosher salt. Add any combination of the following ingredients to give the rub your own twist. Start by adding the spices in 1 tablespoon increments (tasting as you go), until you get a flavor profile that you like. Garlic Powder Paprika Onion Powder Ground Mustard

Step 2: Trim the brisket With the fat cap facing up, use a sharp knife to carefully trim the fat down to about 1/4 inch. Leaving a little fat on the brisket will help the meat retain its moisture while cooking, and is necessary for developing a distinctive bark/crust on the outside of the brisket.

Step 3: Season Brisket Flip the brisket over so that the fat side is down, resting on your counter. Season the top of the brisket with a heavy layer of rub, using about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rub. Pat it into the brisket so it sticks and then flip the meat over, seasoning the other side (now the fat side is facing up), with another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rub. Place brisket in refrigerator.

Step 4: Prepare your smoker and start cooking While the meat is resting in the refrigerator, light the fire in your pit and let it develop a good base of coals before putting the meat on. Add a couple pieces of wood and set the dampers on your pit so that it is maintaining an even cooking temperature of between 225 and 250 degrees. Once the fire is stabilized, place the brisket on the pit (fat side up) with the point (the thickest part of the brisket) on the part of the pit that is closest to the firebox. Maintain a consistent cooking temperature during the cook, plan on it taking about 1-1.5 hours per pound. You will need a good instant read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat during the cooking process. Typically you won’t need to check the temperature of the meat until it’s been on the pit for at least 5-6 hours, when doing so, check the temp in both the lean (flat) and fatty (point) of the brisket to gauge how far along the brisket is in its cooking cycle. The internal temperature of the brisket will rise at a regular rate until reaches about 160 degrees, at which point it will appear to “stall” and may remain around 160 – 175 degrees for several hours. It will typically enter this range after having been on the pit for about 4-5 hours and may stay within this range for another 3 hours, before exiting this stalling period. After which the internal temperature will again start to rise steadily until it reaches approximately 190-195 degrees. At this point, the brisket can be removed from the pit. Wrap it in foil or butcher paper and place it in your YETI (fat side up)…it will hold safely in the cooler for several hours until you’re ready to serve. After removing the brisket from the cooler, drain any drippings from that have accumulated in the foil and whisk them into your favorite bbq sauce. Put the sauce in a pan and bring to a boil on the stove, then remove from the heat.

Step 5: Slicing Place brisket on a large cutting board, with the fat side up. Start slicing from the flat (the thinnest part of the brisket). When you have sliced about 1/2 through the brisket , rotate it 180 degrees and continuing slicing until complete.

Photography from Robert Lerma

JUSTIN AND DIANE FOURTON

It all started when Justin and Diane Fourton ditched their corporate jobs to pursue their dream and spend more time as a family. To be honest, they weren’t out to set the world on fire – just some mesquite wood, plus a little oak. But one mouthwatering bite of brisket led to another, and before they knew it, the juicy secret about Pecan Lodge was out. Food Network filmed an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and folks began to serve up heaping portions of praise for what Texas Monthly called one of the Top 4 BBQ joints in the world and Southern Living Magazine named the best pulled pork in the South.

It’s not easy work, but they love what they’re doing. And there are no shortcuts to doing it right. Their BBQ pits burn 24 hours a day, fueled by nothing but wood and passion. If it can be made from scratch, they do it that way- from grinding and stuffing their own sausage to making the custard for Aunt Polly’s banana pudding.